Islamabad: The Election Commission has issued new notices to seven political parties regarding the failure to allocate 5% of general seats to women in the general elections.
The hearing, led by Sindh Member Nisar Durrani, saw no representation from Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan Imam Noorani, Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Pakistan Rah-e-Haq, or Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S).
The Election Commission has issued fresh notices to these seven parties.
Election Commission officials stated that if a political party does not allocate 5% of general seats to female candidates, their election symbol will be revoked.
Members of the Election Commission asked whether the 5% quota for women on general seats had been implemented or not, and if not, why.
It was noted that female candidates are often given tickets in constituencies where the party has little support.
Ten parties have not complied with the 5% quota for women on general seats.
The commission inquired about the consequences of not giving 5% of tickets to women.
The lawyer for BNP-Mengal requested a two-week extension, and the lawyer for TLP also asked for more time to submit a response.
The Election Commission noted that, according to their records, BNP-Mengal had given 3.84% of tickets to women.
The Suleman Khan Tribal Movement also requested additional time to submit a response.
The lawyer for Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan Noorani stated that their candidates had withdrawn from the elections in favor of the PPP.
Out of their 14 candidates, one was a woman, but all had withdrawn their papers.
The Election Commission instructed them to submit a written statement along with an affidavit.
The lawyer for the Pakistan Ideological Party informed the Election Commission that they had 63 candidates, with more women in Punjab where they met the quota.
However, in other provinces, they had only two or three candidates, making it difficult to meet the quota.
The Election Commission asked if the 5% quota for women on general seats also applies to the Senate.
Election Commission officials clarified that the Election Act specifies a 5% quota for women on general seats in both the Parliament and Provincial Assemblies.
The commission has requested details regarding the 5% quota for Senate seats and adjourned the hearing until August 7.